Category: Meditations

Meditation 291

Luke 24: 44-53

The disciples who witnessed the ascension of Jesus, and came away from the event are transformed from who they had been when Jesus called them to follow him. They had been a group of men who had almost nothing in common. These men did not see themselves as religious leaders, but they had been called by a charismatic leader, Jesus, to follow him, so they did. During Jesus’ ministry they had been born from above (John 3) and they had been transformed from those who hoped for something better to those who knew that in Jesus hope had been realized.

Transformed lives are what we have in common with the early disciples. Transformed lives are what we have in Jesus. We can see parallels in our own lives and the lives of the early disciples. They came to faith from a place of needing to grow in their knowledge of God’s kingdom, they had doubts and questions about life in general, and they had felt abandoned when Jesus had died on the cross. Similarly, we can feel confused and abandoned at times, and we see in the lives of the disciples that Jesus does not give up on those who ask “why” and “what is going on.”

Like the early disciples we also know that the kingdom of God is not of this world. The kingdom of God is about the things Jesus taught before he ascended. God’s kingdom is about the promises about Jesus found in all of scripture, about the resurrection of Jesus, and about repentance. Further, those who know and live these truths are to be witnesses to them to share the truths of Jesus with the world.

When the disciples were first called to follow Jesus they would not have seen themselves as those who would have the courage to be witnesses of Jesus. They would not have believed that they would say goodbye to him, and return to Jerusalem with joy. Such was the transformation that had taken place within them. They were those who had met God face to face and who had a new purpose in life.

Earlier in Luke 24, when two followers of Jesus met him on the Emmaus Road after the resurrection, their hearts burned within them as they heard Jesus share scripture’s truth about himself. Our hearts can also burn within us as we let ourselves be open to what Jesus has to tell us. In recent years congregations of believer have been faced with questions as to if we will keep on, and the answer has been yes we will. Those whose hearts burn within them still share Jesus with the world.

There are some who say that churches are being oppressed in these days of COVID 19 as public worship is being curtailed for health reasons. This is not the case. Those who love and serve Jesus are still sharing the good news. We are still sharing with those who do not have enough, we are still advocating on behalf of the oppressed, we are worshipping on line, we are praying for leaders, and we are doing our part to follow health guidelines.

We are asked to share the truth of living God’s way, to love God with all there is of us to love, and to love our neighbours as ourselves. As transformed people we are able to do that.

Meditation 290                  Luke 24: 44-53

Today is Ascension Day, the day that we observe that Jesus has returned to heaven in glory and is seated at God’s right hand. This day is also an invitation to us to be fully involved in the life and work of Jesus. From time to time we are given a glimpse of heaven on earth. We are reminded that we are created in God’s image and we see that we can achieve God’s hope for us. On Ascension Sunday we take time to think of how Jesus continues to help us to do just that. It may seem odd to think of Jesus who has gone to heaven as the one who is actively helping us who are here on earth, so let’s think a bit about what it means that Jesus is in heaven. We know that heaven is the place where God resides. Jesus is now with God. Mark 16:19 says Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God, and Luke 24: 52 says the disciples worshipped Jesus, which tells us that they recognized Jesus as God.

The reality that Jesus is with God has implications for us. Because Jesus is now with God, it is not possible to talk about God without talking about Jesus. We can think of God as all powerful, perfect, majestic, sovereign and eternal… But now, the God now being worshiped by the disciples in our passage is also one who knows loneliness, betrayal, rejection, thirst, and even death. The ascension of Jesus into heaven alters our picture of God. We do not define God in a way that leaves God completely detached from human experience. The ascended Jesus, who sits at God’s right hand, reveals a God who is vulnerable and even approachable. When we turn to God in times of distress or temptation, we are not addressing a deity aloof and unfamiliar with our struggles. God knows our trials intimately well and not only comforts us by identifying with our pain, but also assures us that affliction will not have the final word, because it is the risen and ascended Christ who intercedes for us and nothing can separate us from Christ’s love (Romans 8:34).

This is the WHY of our belief. We believe in Jesus who is fully human and fully God who is seated at God’s right hand, and who guides our living. We have faith in God who knows us and loves us. This is what we have to share with our world. It can be a temptation for God’s people to first share with others the how and the what of church life. We invite people to be a part of a group, to be a friend, to find purpose in helping others – all of which is part of the life of the Church of Jesus – but the most important thing we have to pass on is the WHY. We are loved by God who knows us and invites us to be children of God. Knowing the why of what you do is said to be the reason the Apple Computer is so successful. They know why they do what they do, every project has to fit into their “why” before it is adopted and they figure out how to make it happen.

 On this Ascension Day, we can remember that we love and serve Jesus, who knows us, loves us and guides us.

Meditation 289

Ephesians 1: 15-23

In this passage Paul is describing the power of God at work in Christ, which is the power that gives reason for Ascension Day. Ascension Day is Thursday May 13 this year, and will be observed in some churches on Sunday May 16.

Paul writes that God raised Jesus from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places. This resurrection is the source of our hope. By rising from death Jesus conquered sin and death and so gives us a reason to look above the turmoil that may surround us. We often use images from nature to help us understand the resurrection, such as the emergence of butterflies from the cocoon. The resurrection of Jesus is more amazing that that. I can remember Dr Stephen Farris, one of my professors at Knox College, telling us that the resurrection of Jesus was unique in that it was once and for all. The resurrection of Jesus is not part of the cycle of nature, but it happened once and in his rising from death, Jesus overcame the power of sin and death.

Since Jesus has overcome sin and death, we have a hopeful place from which to live. In the passage we are reading today Paul is reminding the Ephesians that Jesus has been seated at God’s right hand in the heavenly places, which is above all other rule, power, authority, dominion, and every name both in this age and that which is to come. Jesus is exalted and has been exalted by God. Jesus is the source of authority in our lives and therefore the source of hope. In Jesus we may have confidence that the Kingdom of Heaven is accomplished and we are part of that kingdom.

The power of God which is at work in Jesus to have raised him from death and seated him in heavenly places, is the same power that is at work in the church. We are reminded that the church is the body of Jesus Christ. The church is not just an organization that has doing good as its goal. The church is the way Jesus is active in our world. We do perform good works in the name of Jesus, we are also the voice of hope for those who have lost or are losing their way.

Sometimes the work of the Church of Jesus Christ is strong and powerful, such as the times that the Moderator of General Assembly writes to the government on behalf of the impoverished or on behalf of the environment. Another significant task of the church took place a number of years ago in Brampton after a horrific shooting of children in a school in Ireland. The Protestant and Roman Catholic churches held a prayer service at the Catholic Church (the one with the bigger sanctuary). After the service was over traffic was stopped as the entire congregation crossed the intersection to have a time of fellowship at the Presbyterian Church. (The enormity of traffic stopping for a church event may be lost on those of you from smaller communities where the traffic still stops for funerals, but those of us who took part in that procession knew that this community action we huge). Other times the work of the Church is seen in the kindness of a friend who sits with one who is grieving. There is a story told of a child who went to visit an older grieving neighbour, and when the child came home was asked what he had done. “I helped him cry” was the answer. Sometimes the work of the Church is the wisdom to help someone cry.

Regardless of how we experience the power of Jesus, it is alive and in the face of doubt, sorrow or cruelty, the power of Jesus is real and alive and is our ultimate answer.

Meditation 288

Acts 1: 1-11

Yesterday we read Psalm 47 which directs our attention upwards. Psalm 47 praises God for ruling, guiding and caring for the world, and recognizes that God is exalted over the world. Today’s reading in Acts tells us that Jesus after completing his earthly ministry, was lifted up to be with the Father in heaven.

On one hand this reading may leave us feeling that we have been left behind by Jesus. Jesus is now in heaven and watching us from afar as we read the lessons he taught and pray to a far away God for help. There is a lot that we need help with too. This week I was in touch with my sons and their families and was reminded of the challenges that some people face. Here in New Brunswick my biggest difficulty living in pandemic conditions is that I am limited in what I can do and where I can go. In Nova Scotia there is a surge in numbers of infections, and in Alberta there seems to be a disbelief amongst some that social distancing and mask wearing are good and helpful practices. Last year a song came out of Nova Scotia that told us to “stay the blazes home” and to “think about the common good.” We can become overwhelmed as we keep trying to do the right thing only to see others flout the common good.

Before I get you all too depressed to go on, I think that the sorry of the ascension of Jesus is more than a reminder that Jesus is exalted; this story is also a reminder to look up beyond what is immediately around you. We can look down and see the things that worry us, or we can look up and look to Jesus for rule, guidance and caring.

Just before Jesus ascended to heaven the disciples asked when the kingdom would be restored to Israel, and he told them it was not for them to know what God’s timelines were/are. Jesus did say that the disciples would be given the gift of the Holy Spirit, and that the Spirit would give them power to be witnesses to Jesus. I think there is comfort for us in that promise. Like the disciples there are things that we don’t know, but we have the presence of the Holy Spirit to give us comfort, and to give us power to be witnesses to Jesus.

In our lives right now the big question that is being posed is “how much longer?” How much longer before we can visit family, how much longer before we can hold a celebration, how much longer will we be living in concern that a vile disease will keep on spreading. In the midst of all of that we have the Spirit to help us to use healthy practices without being harsh to others, to give encouragement when we can, to offer help to those who need it, and to remind ourselves and others that this is not the end, and that by God’s grace we can make it through.

May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your face, may the rain fall soft on your fields, and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of God’s hand. (Irish Blessing)

Meditation 287

Psalm 47

This psalm begins with a direction for all peoples to clap their hands and shout to God with loud songs of joy. We start with a call to action, and then we are told why we are to clap and shout. The Lord is awesome, a great king over all the earth, God has subdued peoples and nations under God’s people, and God has chosen the heritage for the pride of Jacob who are loved by this awesome God. The introduction of Psalm 47 is a stirring invitation to praise and adoration of God who cares for the people.

In this psalm, God is being depicted as a king who leads the people. In verse 5 we read that “God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of trumpet.” A shout and a trumpet would be ways a king would command the attention of a crowd. This psalm is believed to be one of the enthronement psalms, which with Psalms 93, 94-99, were used in a yearly ceremony at the temple. This ceremony was held to affirm the kingship of the Lord God. In Psalm 47 the response to God’s kingship was a threefold invitation to sing praises.

The people who came to the temple to rejoice at the majesty of God were confident that God was their God, and also that God ruled the world. In verse 2 we read that God is “a great king over all the earth” and in verse 8 we read that “God is king over the nations.” The people who gathered at the temple were uniting their hearts and voices in adoration to God who had guided and cared for them.

The ancient world was a hierarchical one. That which was great was elevated, and so we have the image of God going up and sitting on a holy throne. God is above everything and everyone and so is highly exalted (verse9). God is an exalted king who is most worthy of praise.

This coming Sunday is Ascension Sunday, the week that we remember that Jesus ascended into heaven to be exalted at the right hand of God. As the one who sits at this high place, Jesus is entitled to receive the praises given in Psalm 47. We know that Jesus’ ascent is truly marvelous because it follows on the heels of a descent, as we affirm in the Apostles’ Creed. Jesus is owed our allegiance and devotion.

We have few occasions in our observance of faith to be part of the sort of pageantry described in Psalm 47. Ascending the steps of a cathedral or other splendid house of worship while voices and trumpets are sounded has never been an experience I have had. Still, we are invited to sing praises, which we may do in our worship services, in our day to day living and with the work of our hands. We may be thankful that Jesus is enthroned with God, caring for us and guiding us, and in response we bring our worship.

 

Meditation 286

John 15: 9-27

There is a song that says “Love is what it’s all about,” and in the passage in John 15 that seems to be the case that Jesus is making. He is not talking about the kind of love that gets packaged up in  ads that we have see in the media, but the kind of love that had Jesus say “No one has greater love than this, than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Jesus did that. He laid down his life for his friends, for us.

Because Jesus has laid down his life, we are friends, not servants. (verse 14) When we hear the word “friend” we usually think of a comrade, or pal, a sympathizer, chum, or intimate. A friend is one who is attached to another by feelings of affection, a friend is a supporter. A friendship is a relationship between equals. It’s a big leap to say that we are equal to God, but, on one hand, Jesus did tell his disciples that we know Jesus’ plans. We are not kept in the dark like servants or subordinates. There is love and passion between Jesus and his friends. It is not a distant, correct relationship, but a caring, involved one.

In the May 2012 issue of The Presbyterian Record, Laurence Dewolfe who wrote “The Progressive Lectionary” column had a lot to say about love in the Bible. He considers two of the Greek words that are translated as love, agapé and philia. The word Agape is always translated as love, and we often translate philia as brotherly love, which we think of it as the root of friendship. In these cases, love is much more than a vague sense of obligation toward everyone else. There’s nothing vague about agapé or philia. They’re both about passion, and serious commitment and they command a very clear path in life. Agapé is a direction of the will toward another. It doesn’t grow out of feelings, but begins with a choice. This is not a light hearted choice, and once chosen, it determines other choices.

Agapé doesn’t spring up out of who we are or what we can do, rather agapé comes from the love that Jesus has for us. It comes from who he is and how he loves. Jesus doesn’t say, “Like one another, then try to love one another.” He doesn’t say, “Figure out who is worthy of your love, then do your best.” Jesus says love one another as I have loved you. Jesus commands a high standard, which is the most extreme love we can imagine. While it is extreme it is a love we have already seen in action in the life of Jesus. Agapé love is possible because we know Jesus, and how he loves.

Because Jesus loves us, we are called friends not servants or slaves. Servant is a word that falls one our modern ears more easily than slave, but the Greek word translated as servant can also mean “slave.” We like the idea of being friends rather than servants, and we surely we don’t want to be slaves. A slave has no power, a slave is at the beck and call of the master or mistress. If we are Jesus’ friends then it seems we still have our identity and our independence in place. But think for a minute, a real friend has a power to command. It is not power that is assumed by the friend, but power given by you. You take her or his word seriously. You want to do what the friend asks. You may even move heaven and earth for the sake of that friendship, and so Jesus as a true friend has loyalty from us deeper than that which can be commanded.

Meditation 285

John 15: 9-17

This passage begins with Jesus saying “as the Father has loved me so have I loved you; abide in my love. What an amazing thing that is, to know that Jesus’ love for us is as great as God the Father’s love for Jesus. This is the kind of love that is so perfect and so deep that it cannot be described in human terms, yet we receive it from Jesus, we live it, we share it and we do try to explain it.

The modern theologian Richard Rohr talks about the love of God lighting up our lives, much like we light up when we see someone that is precious to us. Rohr says, “When God gazes at us and we gaze at God we light up. . . . And God lights up with joy of being recognized by the one that God created in God’s own image and likeness for the very sake of this recognition. It’s an … intimate communion; a tender recognition of oneness that we might rest in it, resting in us . . . resting in this communion in each other, as each other, through each other, beyond each other in this endless interconnectedness of life itself, of love.” (Richard Rohr. Center for Action and Contemplation. April 2018)

The interconnectedness of being with God is only the beginning for “If we are to be a continuation of God’s way of seeing, we must, first of all, be mirrors. We must be no-thing so that we can receive some-thing. To love demands a transformation of consciousness, a transformation that has been the goal of all saints, mystics, and gurus. And the transformation of consciousness is this: we must be liberated from ourselves, which is done by somehow becoming the other. Think of Paul’s famous “I live no longer, not I, but with the life of Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). This is not fantastic religious poetry, it is the heart of the experience of human and divine love. What we allow ourselves to see is what we eventually become. (Richard Rohr. Center for Action and Contemplation. April 2018)

What we allow ourselves to see is what we eventually become. This is so simple a statement and yet it is deeply true. Our minds are very powerful and the way we interpret our world will affect our feelings and will determine the point of view we bring to our lives.

Preacher Jerry L Schmalenberger  (sh-mal en berger) has this to say: Perhaps we have been misrepresenting Christ. The Interpreter’s Bible says: ‘For enter a church during a time of worship, and one finds gravity and seemliness and a feeling of reverence. But would anyone, stumbling in, sense that here are people who have made a glorious discovery, and are thrilled and joy-possessed?’

The New Testament makes plain that those who saw Jesus in the flesh were struck by a certain sunny-heartedness about him. The prim minds of the day did not easily associate good cheer with religion. Jesus stood out as one who was thrilled to know God and who was offering us a way of living that was joy-possessed. If Jesus had been like every other prophet who died at the end of his life, then we wouldn’t to expect him to invite us to any privilege or responsibility. When he was on the cross and said ‘It is finished,’ that was not the end, he cracked wide the tomb door and sprang out of death’s grip on that first Easter. Therefore we must consider that God is alive here, calling, gathering, sanctifying us, his disciples! It’s a vital sign of the true congregation of believers.
So often we live our lives on the cross side of Easter rather than the resurrected and alive side. Our Christian lives ought to reflect that joy – Jesus likened us not to a funeral procession but to a wedding reception.
Let the liturgy lift us up. Let the hymns make a happy, easy melody.
Let the preacher smile and be enthusiastic. Let the congregation radiate the warmth of it all.
Joy is what we are chosen for and joy is what we offer to all who come.

Meditation 284

1 John 5: 1-6

In this passage we are told that those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God conquer the world. This is an amazing promise that is made because of the love of God which has been made known to us through Jesus. Jesus who taught us a new commandment. The new commandment is that we love one another as Jesus has loved us. (John 13:34)

Being able to conquer the world is a big thing to grasp. The world is so large and the needs of the world are so great. I think that the way we conquer the world is not in the way that men and armies have tried to do so. Those of us who are followers of Jesus, who have been commanded to love one another, conquer the world by living the new commandment, and by not becoming like the forces around us. Nelson Mandela famously said “Forgiveness liberates the soul, that is why it is such a powerful weapon.” The normal human reaction to the forces of the world is to react, the new commandment helps us to act as Jesus would. We conquer the world step by step.

This life changing love of God was evident in the life of the apostle Peter who we read about yesterday. Peter had been given a vision to go and visit a Roman soldier, Cornelius, and share the gospel with him. If someone had said to Peter before he had his vision that he would go to a Roman citizen to share the gospel with that one, and to baptize; I do not think that Peter would have believed that such a thing was possible. He had been taught that they way to God was through the covenant that God had given and that Jesus was the ultimate fulfillment of the covenant. He may have felt that a Roman would need to show adherence to the practices that the Jewish people followed, as well as believe in Jesus. This was the way Peter had come to faith. The Spirit of God compelled Peter to share the good news of Jesus with Cornelius and to hold no other expectation. Peter was beginning to see that God does not make distinctions between people.

The change that took place in Peter’s heart when he responded to the message from God was one of the ways that the love of God is conquering the world. Because of his changed heart, Peter brought the gospel to more people than he would have before. Because of his changed heart he is an example to us of how to reach out to those around us.

Today we would not ask those who are inquiring about faith to observe the way of the first covenant given by God. We did not do so ourselves. It is however tempting, as believers, to give some of our practices too much importance. We can confuse the tradition with the truth. Thankfully, we have been given the love of God which changes the world, and the first change is our heart, so that we are able to bring God’s truth to the circumstance in which we live.

Meditation 283

Acts 10:44-48

These verse in Acts are the conclusion of a visit that Peter makes to the home of Cornelius. Cornelius was a centurion of the Italian Cohort, which means that he had a ranking position of authority in the Roman army. Even though Cornelius was not a Hebrew, we are told that “he was a devout man who feared God …he gave alms generously … and prayed constantly to God.” (Acts 10: 2) One day he was given a vision in which he was directed to send for Simon Peter, which he did. When Simon arrives at the home of Cornelius, he shares the good news of Jesus and he is prepared to baptize Cornelius and those in his household.

Up to that time it had been accepted that those who were baptized would be those who had followed the Jewish faith. It seemed too big a leap for some to accept that the good news of Jesus was for the circumcised believers (the Jewish people) and the uncircumcised or Gentiles.  When Peter arrives at the home of Cornelius there are those from the surrounding community who come to hear Peter preach. We are told that while Peter was speaking that the Holy Spirt fell upon all who were listening, and that the circumcised believers were astonished that the Spirt fell upon the Gentiles as well. After this powerful demonstration from God, no one doubted that Cornelius and his household should be baptized.

For those early believers the message was clear, God does not distinguish between who is allowed to believe in Jesus and who is not. The gospel is offered to the whole world, and so the gift of the Holy Spirit is not confined to only a segment of humanity.

In the twenty-first century we do want to be able to connect with one another as Peter did with Cornelius. We want to be able to live the truth that God sends the Holy Spirit upon those who are like us, and those who are different. As believers we want to embrace those of different backgrounds and abilities, so that under the leading of the Spirit we may worship and work together. By the gift of the Holy Spirit, we, like Peter, may be led to see others as God does.

Let this be our prayer:

God, who comes to us as the Spirit, who breathes the fire of passion into us,

Who inspires us to compassion and courage, You stir up in us the love made known in Christ.

You gift us with a message worth proclaiming, Not just as empty words, but in actions and deeds.

You change the game. You transform us and our living.

You work in us subtlety from the inside out.

You bring to us peace in the midst of the struggles and chaos of life.

Touch us now in ways we least expect.

Surprise us with your reality, and ignite our sense of passion and purpose, that we might grasp the gifts you offer in us,

Take them and serve those who need of them in the world. Bring us into your communion of the common good. Amen.  (Source: Jon Humphries, Prayers that Unite)

Meditation 282

Psalm 98

This psalm is one of the psalms of praise that may have been written after an occasion when the psalmist had experienced the deliverance of God. It may also have been a psalm that was intended to be used for one of the main celebrations of the Hebrew people, such as the yearly reminder of God delivering them in the Exodus. Whether this psalm was intended as a personal expression of praise and thanksgiving, or as a corporate prayer, it is beautiful.

The structure of Psalm 98 is one in which the writer makes a statement and then builds one it.  We start with “O sing to the Lord a new song.” Right away the psalmist has our attention and we are invited to sing, not just any song, but a new song, then the reason for such praise is given, the Lord has done marvelous things, and if that is not enough, the Lord’s right hand and holy arm have gotten victory. Then before the excitement dies down, we are told the Lord has made known victory, and the Lord has remembered steadfast love and faithfulness. As the psalmist builds on these proclamations, we are brought to the truth that “All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.”

From this place of adoration, the entire earth is invited to make a joyful noise, to sing praises to the Lord not only with our voice but with the lyre and trumpets. The sea is invited to roar in praise of the Lord, as are the floods to clap their hands, and the hills to sing for joy. In conclusion the psalmist tells us that the Lord is coming to judge the earth, and in so doing the Lord will bring righteousness and equity.

As we read this beautiful poem of praise our hearts are lifted and we are brought before God in joy, because of who God is and what God does for the earth. According to the psalmist the intention of God is righteousness and fairness. Although this psalm is hundreds of years old, it can still be used to express what continues to happen today. This morning I saw a post on Facebook that was that was also the sharing of experience that makes me rejoice. It was a story shared by young woman who is a friend of my son and daughter in law. This friend is in the process of making plans to travel to be with her brother who is hospitalized due to COVID 19. As people have been made aware of this stressful trip; there has been an outpouring of support, from the social worker at her brother’s hospital who helped with making arrangements for rebates on travel expenses and names of accommodations close to the hospital, to someone giving travel points to book a ticket, to those who have given money to those who have been locally supportive in many ways. She has been overwhelmed by the way God’s righteousness and fairness have been shown through the actions of caring people. Her heart is full, and she is thankful to God and to those who have been helpers in this time. I am sure that the invitation to sing to the Lord a new song is one that is being acted out as I am writing.